Emerald Spa bottom foot well indented

[Purplelady]

We purchased an Emerald Manor Series hot tub Dec of 2013. It has the intense foot massage in the footwell. After 3 months the bottom started sinking. Causing you to trip when getting in. Company replaced in Oct of 2014 with new tub. After a few months in 2015 the same thing began to happen. By May of 2015 Emerald stopped making tubs. They refused to release this tub, saying it is only a cosmetic blemish. A almost 2" incline and still going is not a cosmetic blemish. It is a danger to anyone who steps in it. It causes you to loose your footing and get thrown forward. Because it is not cracked and leaking water company says it is not covered under warrenty. Has any one else had a hot tub bottom sink? This tub was meant to hold 7 people and 540 gallons of water. There is no support under footwell just air space. Has anyone used the states Implied Warrenty to get a full refund? Any suggestions on what to do would be helpful. The tub is about 22 months old now and we paid $9300 for it. Can't just take that kind of lose.

[Hottubguy]

Think you will have a hard time because emerald went out of business about 6 months to a year ago. I have never heard of that happening on a tub. Do you have any pictures of it?

[Purplelady]

Emerald is not making tubs anymore but still covering warrenty a for 5 years and still selling parts and covers. I bought tub from a local retailer and it is them that I think I need to go after. I have pictures, but it's hard to tell cause tub is white. You really need to feel it when it's full of water to see how bad it is. IMG_0085.JPG IMG_0087.JPG not sure if that's how to send pics. Thanks for looking.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

What states implied warranty? There's a whole bunch of different states (the first two W's in www stand for WORLD WIDE). Unlikely the retailed has any responsibility. The manufacturer provides the warranty, and if they go under, typically so does the warranty...could be different in your state.

[DKRanger22]

Its a shame that the dealer isn't willing to provide you with more help.  Wondering if you might be able to add some support from the underside to help with the issue?  I don't know if that will help to "pop back" the dent or not, but at least would prevent it from getting worse. 

[Hottubguy]

What does the dealer say?  They are stuck between a rock and a hard place becuase they sold it but the manufacturer determines warranty. Maybe they can talked to emerald. Other then that I'm not really sure what they can do for you

[DKRanger22]

If the manufacturer is still backing the 5 year warranty period, why would the dealer walk away?  Also think they could at the very least offer a suggestion to help remedy the issue (i.e. Support on the bottom).  Sounds like a tough situation all around,hard to point blame not knowing all the facts, but I'd just expect the dealer to lay out a few options, even if it involved cash out of pocket for the customer.  Some solution would be better than no solution.

[Hottubguy]

If the manufacturer is still backing the 5 year warranty period, why would the dealer walk away?  Also think they could at the very least offer a suggestion to help remedy the issue (i.e. Support on the bottom).  Sounds like a tough situation all around,hard to point blame not knowing all the facts, but I'd just expect the dealer to lay out a few options, even if it involved cash out of pocket for the customer.  Some solution would be better than no solution.

Because the dealer doesn't make warranty determinations the manufacturer does. What happens if the dealer tries to help and tries to stabilize the bottom. If it fails then emerald can easily wash their hands off it and the dealer is now liable. What do you have the tub sitting on?  Concrete, paver base or something else?  Weird that two tubs would essentially do the same thing twice. What is emeralds reasoning for covering it the first time but not the second?  Has anybody (dealer or service tech) been out to look at it?

[DKRanger22]

Because the dealer doesn't make warranty determinations the manufacturer does.

Don't disagree, but would argue that the dealer should be advocating for a warranty claim on behalf of the customer.  Doesn't appear that they are going out of their way to do so, but again, we don't have all the facts. 

What happens if the dealer tries to help and tries to stabilize the bottom. If it fails then emerald can easily wash their hands off it and the dealer is now liable.

 

The manufacturer has already washed their hands of the situation, so what's the harm in trying?   Obviously, this approach would come with the stipulation that it could void the warranty moving forward, but the warranty appears to be worthless anyways.   As a customer, I'd at least want an option on the table, and would appreciate the dealer putting one on the table.   The alternative sounds like the owner or his family tripping and cracking their head open.   

[Hottubguy]

Don't disagree, but would argue that the dealer should be advocating for a warranty claim on behalf of the customer.  Doesn't appear that they are going out of their way to do so, but again, we don't have all the facts. 

Agree but there are always 2 sides to a story.  that's why I asked if dealer came out or anybody had looked at it. If the dealer is completely blowing off the issue then I agree completely. I'm not by any means saying this is the case but a few years ago we went to deliver a tub. My contract states that tub must be placed on a concrete pad, deck that can support or to refer to manufacturers specs. We get to the drop off and the guy wants me to put it in his yard on the grass and fill it up. We explained to him why we couldn't do this, he said he was going to pour a pad. A little over a year later he called and said his frame was warped and falling apart. I went out to assess the guy put the tub on the grass, it settled and cracked the frame. He was pissed that I wouldn't warrantee it


Your second part, if the dealer does what he thinks will work and it doesn't work and makes it worse then it falls back on him. He would just be opening himself up to be sued.

Hopefully his/her dealer will go out assess and figure out a solution. Tough when a manufacturer goes under for everybody involved including the dealer of the tub. Knock on wood that hasn't happened to me before. My biggest question is if emerald covered it before and the same thing happened then why aren't they taking care of it this time. As a dealer I would be hounding them to find out the answer to that question

[Purplelady]

The tub is on a cement slab. First tub the dealers rep apologized and said it was a defect, should have never happened. Dealer is claiming now that it is only a blemish. Doesn't interfere with the enjoyment of the tub. It is not cracked open and leaking water, there for they do not have to patch it. Blemish, cracked open is not the issue. The issue is the danger of it. It causes you to fall forward when stepping in or just standing up to go to get out. At some point we all have to stand in a hot tub. No one from Emerald will come look at it, bought it from Jubilee pools and Spas. She has not come to look at it. But her Emerald Authrized tec has seen this one and the last one and says he doesn't understand why they won't do anything about it again. He sees the danger and says he does not Blaim us for wanting a full refund. He just seems to be ignored and his hands are tied. Emerald now says for us to bring it to them and they will take a look at the electronic issues. So 700 lbs and 200 miles on the roof of my Ford Escape, for them to look at a pump and lights? They refuse to admit the bottom is of danger. They claim what we are feeling is the embossing of the Emerald letters in the footwell. This is not a raised area but an indented area beyond the embossed letters. We live in Michigan where the tub was made. One of our reasons for buying an Emerald. We have asked for them to come give it some support under it. If we do it, it will void warranty. They have ignored our request for a year now. We have protection as consumers to buy prospects that are not defective. We will fight this in any way we can. And get the word out to others that they don't have to live with a product that may cause us or our children harm. Dealer does nothing to help. But yet she will be liable if someone gets hurt.